Albufeira and its surrounding offer a wealth of restaurants and bars for all tastes and all purses. If you are a first time visitor, you probably would like to find out about Portuguese cuisine.

Portuguese cuisine is famous for its simplicity. Few but fresh ingredients are more important than intricate culinary concoctions. If you are a lover of delicate sauces - you have come to the wrong place.

The following dialogue gives a little proof of the ideology:

Guest: Could I have some sauce with my fish?
Waiter: Why? Is the fish no good?

Obviously fish is a main ingredient in daily cooking and a visit to a local fish market is certainly a revelation. With three exceptions, fish rarely get served other than grilled, mostly on charcoal.

The exceptions are:

1. Sardinhas or carapao alimadas or escebeche
Sardines or mackerel marinated and served cold as a starter

2. Caldeirada de peixe
a delicious fishsoup, at least as tasty as the famous French bouillabaisse.

3. Cataplana
a dish that got its name from the pressure cooker pot it is cooked and served in. Consisting originally of clams, pork, different types of sausage, vegetables and cooked in wine. Nowadays even served with fish, prawns and/or chicken.

Ask for these dishes in restaurants like

O Dias
Situated in one of the last original fishermen's cottages overlooking the town beach. This cosy, down to earth restaurant has during its more than 30 year long existence built up an excellent reputation among Portuguese clients, who expect only the freshest ingredients, most of them sizzeling hot directly from the charcoal grill. Ideal for lunch and dinner.

Praça Miguel Bombarda
8200 - Albufeira - Portugal
Tel: +351 289 515 246

O Bailote
One of the most interesting restaurants in the pedestrian road leading to the tunnel. The famous Albufeira pintor João Bailote used to live and paint here originally. Now O Bailote comprises of:
The main restaurant on the ground floor, serving traditional cuisine like freshly grilled fish, shellfish, prawns, cataplanas, lobster as well as steaks.

Bailote Café
The ideal place to literally sit on the street and let the world pass by.

Bailote Italian Restaurante
On the first floor, a stylish black and white designed restaurant with a huge terrace overlooking the busy walking street while enjoying pizza, pasta, steaks or Italian fish dishes.

Rua do Túnel
8200 - Albufeira - Portugal
Tel: +351 289 583 370

Doce Jardim
Another ideal place to sit strategically at the top of the busy main square enjoying traditional Portuguese cuisine while observing the madding crowd.

Largo Square
8200 - Albufeira - Portugal
Tel: +351 289 513 832